A House panel has approved a measure sought by Gov. Pat McCrory to expand or extend the economic incentives offered by North Carolina government to recruit companies. The House Finance Committee voted Tuesday to recommend a measure that in part provides more financial capacity to the state's chief incentives tool -- now known as the Job Development Investment Grant.
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The big-spending conservative Crossroads GPS continued its broadside attacks against New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan on Tuesday with a new round of digital ads targeting her fiscal record in the state. Crossroads GPS, which is affiliated with former President George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, announced $50,000 in digital ads that will run on Facebook, Twitter, and various search engines "highlighting Governor Hassan's fiscally irresponsible budget" as she weights a Senate bid.
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Gov. Charlie Baker has appointed a new member to both the Lowell and Dracut housing authorities, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Housing and Economic Development. In Lowell, former LHA board chairman Robert McMahon will replace Kristin Ross-Sitcawich, who was appointed to the board by former Gov. Deval Patrick in 2010.
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Gov. Peter Shumlin, D-Vermont, won't be attending Town Meeting Day activities because he's on vacation in Dominica. But a tweet from his Twitter account talks about the importance of town meeting, saying, "It's a special part of Vermont history and culture.
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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says he supports proposed legislation to eliminate Wisconsin's 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases. The Wisconsin State Journal reports Governor Walker said in an interview last week with the National Rifle Association that he wants Wisconsin to be a leader on the issue.
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State aid for public schools would rise by 2.4 percent next fiscal year and unrestricted local aid would increase by 3.6 percent in Gov. Charlie Baker's budget proposal, which is set to be fully released on Wednesday. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said the increases fulfill the governor's pledge during the campaign to boost state aid in concert with rising state revenues - state tax collections are due to rise 4.8 percent in the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1. The Chapter 70 school aid account in Baker's budget will feature a $105 million increase, which means a minimum increase of $20 per student, Polito told the News Service during an interview Tuesday prior to a meeting with mayors and other municipal officials.
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One of New Jersey's key transportation figures says more borrowing isn't the answer to the state's infrastructure funding problem. Assembly Transportation Committee chairman John Wisniewski told Meadowlands-area business leaders Tuesday that the state must identify a dedicated source of funding for the Transportation Trust Fund.
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TRENTON - The head of New Jersey's League of Municipalities is warning that Gov. Chris Christie's proposed changes to the public worker pension and health care systems could "inspire the mass exodus" of public employees . Those reforms would freeze the current pension system and move employees onto a hybrid defined-benefit, 401 -like defined-contribution plan.
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The latest attempts by a New Jersey Republican to reform the Port Authority are "a non-starter," said a key New York Assemblyman, according to a published report. The Assemblyman, James Brennan, is the Assembly sponsor of reform legislation in New York that passed both state legislatures but was jointly vetoed by Governor Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo late last year.
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Tulsa, Okla.-based WPX Energy Inc. is laying 25 of 156 Denver employees and moving another 120 positions to Tulsa as the company deals with the impacts of low oil prices. The Denver Business Journal reports that the cuts come as WPX cuts about 150 of its 1,050 employees overall.
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A Republican effort to reduce renewable energy mandates on Colorado utilities failed its first test before a Democratic panel Monday. The rejection of the renewable-energy reduction continued a string of misses for the GOP, which has tried to use its bigger piece of the Legislature to roll back laws passed in recent years.
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A unanimous Supreme Court says federal courts have the authority to rule in a dispute over Colorado's Internet tax law. The ruling Tuesday is a win for business groups that want to challenge the state's so-called "Amazon tax" that requires extensive reporting by retailers that don't collect the state's 2.9 percent sales tax from Colorado customers.
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South Carolina and Charleston's automotive industry may be getting a boost on Friday with the expected announcement that Daimler will locate a new assembly facility for its Mercedes Sprinter vans at an undeveloped site in North Charleston that city council discussed as 'Project Unicorn' last week. WCSC-TV reports that state Rep. Chip Limehouse has confirmed the plans, but the P&C says Limehouse stopped short of a full confirmation.
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